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Footlights are very useful at night as they help avoid stress on the eyes and light up the floor area to avoid obstacles. These are also a boon in a house with elderly members. But these traditional footlights have the issue of manual on-off, and searching for the switch at night is no an easy task. Here comes MI Night Light 2 with its motion activation feature, which lights up for a few seconds when someone is nearby. With 3xAA batteries as a power source, you need not worry about either the deterioration of the built-in battery or waiting for the built-in battery to charge. Just swap in new batteries, and its good to go.

Xiaomi launched a series of products in its Smart 2020 event in September, with MI Band 4, Smart water purifier, several MI TV’s, MI Night light 2 in the list. Of these, MI Night Light 2 was part of the MI crowdfunding project. You have to prebook it, and if it reaches its goal, it’s shipped to the pledgers as per the mentioned timelines else full money is refunded.

With many features in a small package, like dual brightness levels, 120° motion sensor, photo sensor, magnetic base, 2800K warm tone, auto-off after 15 sec, etc, this one’s a nice addon for any home at Rs 500.

INSIDE BOX OF MI NIGHT LIGHT 2

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1. Night Lamp which has 3 parts
   – Main light with a battery compartment
   – Back with a metallic plate inside
   – Magnetic base
2. User Manual

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SPECIFICATIONS

1. Luminous flux: 3 lm & 25lm
2. Voltage: 4.5 V
3. Power 0.34 W
4. Operating temperature: -10° to 40° C
5. Dimensions: Dia 8 cm x 6.2 cm
6. Weight without batteries: ~145 g
7. Weight with batteries (Duracell): ~215 g

→ 3 x AA batteries need to be purchased separately
→ Battery backup: (3-4 months, if using Duracell battery & light’s activated approx 20 times in the night with each activation lasting default 15 sec)

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DESIGN OF MI NIGHT LIGHT 2

The design of MI Night Light 2 is minimal with almost nothing outside. The battery compartment and brightness switch, both are located inside accessible only after opening the light. The light package is full plastic and comes in two pieces, one is the main light in the shape of a dome and the other one is a magnetic holder.

The main dome-shaped light has a translucent front with a small circular opaque region in the center with the MI logo, which hides motion and photo sensor. Dome also houses metallic plate inside or to say the dome-shaped metallic plate is sandwiched to the intrados of the outer dome. The other part (magnetic) has an adhesive sticker on its one side while a dome-shaped cavity on the other side to easily stick light’s dome and allow its free rotation to set any desired position.

All of the electronics and sensors are located inside main light dome, which can be easily opened by holding the dome and rotating the front zone to reveal the battery compartment and brightness switch. It requires 3 x AA batteries which are secured by a cover. A toggle type switch is there near battery cover latch to toggle between low and high brightness levels. After opening the metallic plate is directly visible inside the dome.

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PROS

1. Good quality product by MI. Although it was a part of the MI crowdfunding project with 279% funding, so will soon be on normal sale.
2. Light is more than sufficient enough for night time.
3. Supports two brightness levels of 3Lm & 25Lm to suit your needs.
4. The warm tone (2800K) of light ensures no stress on the eyes at night.
5. Powered by 3 x AA batteries. So no worries about the deterioration of built in battery with time and its replacement.
6. A wide motion detection area of 120° with up to 6m in front/2.5m on sides and & works during low light only.
7. Two-piece male-female package with a female magnetic base & male semispherical dome of light which ensures 360° rotation to support virtually any position as per requirement.

CONS

1. 3 x AA batteries are required. Yes, this one is in con too, as it has its own advantages & disadvantages. Many people prefer a rechargeable system owing to hassles associated with the arrangement & disposal of AA batteries.
2. No battery in the default package. So you need to get them in advance.
   
   This is not a big list of cons. The product works really good and deserves a 5-star ★★★★★ rating. Will update rating based on long term performance.

INSTALLATION

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1. To install, first of all, find an appropriate place for installation of MI Night Light 2, as the base comes with strong adhesive sticker. So removing it and reinstalling it is a problem.
2. Remove protective film from adhesive and install the base. It can be installed with the cavity facing upwards or downwards as per need.
3. Next, rotate light’s translucent part anti-clockwise to remove it from its hemispherical back cover.
4. Remove the battery cover and install 3 x AA batteries.
5. Slide switch to adjust desired brightness (low on the right, and high on the left).
6. Install back cover on its place.
7. Stick the lamp on the magnetic base and rotate it to adjust the position.
8. It’s ready to deploy.

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USAGE & TIPS

1. Mi Night light 2 can be installed at any location like, on a wall near the floor to assist night movement, in a closet, in drawers, etc where ever you need light and is dark usually.
2. Remember, it works only in a low light environment which is as per the photosensor setting. So if you are testing in a lit room, it won’t work properly.
3. Do not cover the sensor area (opaque central part of the light with the MI logo) with anything and always clean it with a soft cloth.
4. Use Duracell battery for extra-long backup and replace batteries when brightness appears reduced.

VERDICT FOR MI NIGHT LIGHT 2

MI’s penetration into the home segment has always brought in interesting range of good quality products at affordable costs. MI night light 2 is in every way a useful gadget for any home. If you have elderly people at home, this night light will be a boon for them. So, I just ordered one piece for trial and now waiting for it to fully launch to order a few more.

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